Building, Planning, & Engineering

• Building & Planning
  Forms and Handouts

• Green Building &
  Your Project

• Green Building:
  Did You Know?

• Carol's Green Feature

• Town Requirements
  for Selling Property

• Public Works

• Building Permit FAQs

• Planning FAQs

• About 50% of a typical household's utility bill is attributed to heating & cooling.
  
  
• When designing a new home and opting for a traditional, forced-air heating system, you can maximize your duct system by placing ducts within the conditioned space of the house. Ducts run through non-conditioned space, such as basements, should be well insulated to reduce heat loss.
  
  
• If you have an older furnace, a "tune-up" can increase its efficiency by 5%.
  
  
• Air conditioners run more efficiently when shaded. Choose a shrub or tree that will provide shade or consider building an arbor/trellis planted with vines.
  
  
• Attic insulation can save 20-35% on heating and cooling costs. Ideally, a home should have R-30 rated insulation in the attic.
  
  
• Cotton batts made of recycled textile content provide the same R-value per inch of thickness that fiberglass batt insulation provides.
  
  
• Blown-in foam insulation (polyurethane) is safer for the environment and more energy efficient than fiberglass batt insulation (R-values are slightly higher per inch of thickness). Foam insulation fills all voids and cavities better than other types of insulation.
  
  

Please review previous editions of "Green Building and Your Project...Did You Know?"